The Weeknd dropped the new album “Dawn FM” — not to mention a new face — on Friday after a two-year wait that left fans “in the dark for way too long,” in the words of a teaser video released earlier this week.
The 31-year-old musician — a k a Abel Tesfasye, a k a The Character, a k a aliases that have yet to be conceived — swaggers with an iconic aesthetic, not to mention an exquisite taste in women and the vocal equivalent of a pair of crotchless panties.
As he brings forth a new “Dawn,” let’s take a look at his birth chart to see what rules his stars.
Sun in Aquarius
Born Feb. 16, 1990, The Weeknd falls under the zodiac sign of Aquarius with a Machiavellian Scorpio moon. The energy of this sun/moon combo is perhaps best expressed in the outer space dance orgy video for “Moth to A Flame.” Aquarius rules technology, the internet, space travel, astrology and the human collective. Personal hypothesis: all Aquarians are actually aliens sent to Earth from a planet we have yet to discover and will never deserve. Evidence of extraterrestrial identity is found in their proprietary blend of cool detachment, super-villain intelligence, tech proclivities, love for minimalist architecture and deep humanitarian leanings. It is utterly fitting that our man describes the interiority of his mind as “a sonic universe.”
Not so much people as personas, Aquarians make for excellent cult leaders and creative directors. The Weeknd’s public and private selves are two very different animals, a dichotomy in keeping with his air sign energy and described by the man in question as: “Abel is someone I go home to every night. And The Weeknd is someone I go to work as.”
Go your own way
Raised by a single mom in Toronto, The Weeknd’s trajectory is wildly unexpected and wholly of his own making — two qualifiers of the Aquarius spirit. After leaving home at 17, according to a 2015 New York Times profile, The Weeknd moved in with a crew of friends who reportedly took to shoplifting and ingesting copious amounts of drugs. The aggregate of that experience inspired a suite of songs he anonymously uploaded to YouTube. Discovered and promoted by Drake, the songs quickly went viral. A shrouded identity and a sound reminiscent of opiates and orgasms helped launch The Weeknd into the sphere of public consciousness — and the astral realms of stardom.
Dual rulership, singular weirdness
Aquarians have two planetary rulers: stern dad Saturn and punk rock pot-stirrer Uranus. We see this duality expressed in The Weeknd’s prolific musical output and avant-garde approach to fame. Aquarians want to explore and experience, albeit at an emotional distance that allows them the vantage to observe and process. Case in point: Our man was still folding overpriced T-shirts at American Apparel when he heard his first single played on the radio. Like a true alien mastermind, he didn’t jump for joy at the reverberating sound of himself but, instead, gauged the response of the other people in the store to the music.
The theme continues with Abel admitting the therapeutic aspects of music don’t take hold for him until the song is heard by the audience. “It just feels better sharing,” he told GQ in August 2021. “Because now it’s real. It’s real. You’re immortalizing it.” Creating something wholly original with the hopes that it be shared for all eternity? The perfect expression of the joint custody influence of his planetary rulers.
Bad blood and good will
Some of the more beautiful expressions of Aquarian energy are its stalwart support of humanitarian causes and absolute refusal to abide by injustice or deception. Clearly, The Weeknd ain’t afraid to take a stand or make a statement, as he did in November 2020, calling the Grammys “corrupt” for their approach to nominations and for failing to recognize his chart-topping album “After Hours.” Further, he won’t back down from a call-out, be it accusing Usher of stealing his style or ending his partnership with H&M over an abjectly offensive advertisement. The Weeknd used the platform of an acceptance speech to demand justice for Breona Taylor and Jacob Blake, both victims of police brutality. Unafraid to have his money follow his messaging, The Weeknd pledged a quarter of a million dollars to Black Lives Matter and $1 million in food aid to Ethiopia. The man continues to fight the good fight, joining the UN as an ambassador last fall, saying, “I feel passionate about addressing world hunger and helping people in need.” Do well, be well, leave it better than you found it — all in keeping with the aspirational ideals of Aquarius.
11th House/Island of Misfit Toys
Aquarius rules the 11th House of friendship and — being the official oddball of the zodiac — it comes as no surprise that they attract and collect a diverse group of comrades, something akin to the Island of Misfit Toys. We see this trait demonstrated in The Weeknd’s wide and surprising social network that includes ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez and comedian Jim Carrey — the latter whom he met via neighborly telescope stalking — as well as Lana del Rey and fellow Aquarius Ed Sheeran. Aquarians make for natural collaborators, ever open to the possibility that more can be made by calling on the collective. This collaborative tendency shows no signs of stopping with Quincy Jones, Lil Wayne, Oneohtrix Point Never and Tyler, the Creator appearing on The Weeknd’s new album.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
Scorpio moon
Within the birth chart, the moon represents our internal, shadow selves and indicates our style of need and attachment. The Weeknd has his moon in the dark and potentially diabolical sign of Scorpio. Those with serious Scorpio placements are intense, secretive, powerfully motivated and motivated by power. Natal Scorpio moons are adept at capitalizing on the efforts of others and of getting ahead and getting to the top. A headline from The Guardian describes The Weeknd’s 2020 opus “After Hours” as an “agile blend of usual sex and self-hate” — which also serves as an apt description of the emotional nature of a Scorpio moon. Brooding but beautiful and equal parts destructive and creative, these folks only feel warm when they’re burning for someone or burning something to the ground.
Scorpio moons believe in the metamorphic power of pain, with The Weeknd freely admitting to GQ: “I definitely put myself in situations where it’s psychologically self-harming.” No kidding. All that “Die For You” business and rumors of him offering to give Selena Gomez a life-saving kidney? Big-time goth heart Scorpio moon. And while we appreciate your deathly dedication to love my guy, we need you alive to soundtrack our sex lives in the decades ahead.
Scorpio rules the Eighth House of sex, death, mystery and transformation, themes in keeping with The Weeknd’s art and aesthetic. Whether he’s lighting closets or himself on fire, crashing cars, wrecking high-end interiors with neon crucifixes, putting a gun to his chin, licking frogs on Fremont, being dragged around by a subway-dwelling poltergeist or turning to stone, the modality of our man is search-and-destroy. Dark? For sure, but like the energy of the Eighth House itself, it’s understood that new life and personal evolution can only be sought by clearing what came before.
Death-dealing, drug-loving Plutonian vibes
The Weeknd’s natal moon is conjunct Pluto, the planet of destruction and regeneration. This aspect lends itself to an intense and at times intensely painful life marked by addiction and obsession. There’s a lot of feels in this dude and tidal shifts in mood that tend toward the dark. Case in point: much of his early work reads like a love letter to a late night that never ends, complete with abundant cocaine references and the questionable addition of Alizé to breakfast cereal. Further evidence can be found in the lyrics to “Love In The Sky,” which note: “I’m always getting high cause my confidence is low.” Healing and wholeness for those with this aspect can be found through therapy, meditation, sobriety and dream work. After making his mark through music that extolls drug use and casual sex, The Weeknd seems to be on the path to wellness, which includes stating that he is sober lite.
The Weeknd’s ever-evolving physical appearance can also be attributed to the influence of Pluto in his chart. His initial anonymity was motivated by self-doubt. “I was very insecure,” he told Complex in 2013. “I hated how I looked in pictures.” Not only did he not want to be known, he didn’t want to be seen: “No one could find pictures of me. It reminded me of some villain s–t.” Not being a visual commodity offered him a kind of power that he ultimately had to surrender in order to succeed. Subsequently, and perhaps in response, he has obfuscated or manipulated his face in the name of art and cultural critique. Whether bandaged, bloodied or seemingly cosmetically altered, there’s a theme of violence enacted upon the self, one of the darker expressions of Pluto. This facial manipulation seems to be less of a habit and more of a pattern for our man, with a recent teaser video for his new album revealing a dramatic, Moses-esque, old as hell visage.
Madcap(ricorn)
The Weeknd has a mess of planets in the shrewd, oft-punishing sign of Capricorn. In addition to Neptune, Saturn and Uranus, our man has Venus, planet of love and possessions, and Mars, planet of will and action, in the sign of the sea goat. With this combo, desire and ambition work hand-in-hand — or red blazer in red blazer. When it comes to relationships, these people aren’t about frivolity but rather the ROI on romance. They don’t fall in love, they plot a course — and, for them, intimacy needs to be both practical and advantageous.
When The Weeknd was a couch-surfing Toronto teenager in need of a place to stay, he would tell a girl he loved her to get himself a bed for the night. You know what I call that? Strategy, baby — and big Cap energy.
Capricorn endures in the realms of conflict and attachment; they don’t give up easily, they tend to age beautifully and are usually willing to play the long game in relationships. That’s a quality exhibited in The Weeknd’s back-and-forth, multi-year romance with Bella Hadid.
Money green leather sofa
The influence of Capricorn also serves to explain The Weeknd’s fixation on making his fortune. The most persistent themes in our man’s music are women, drugs and cash, often braiding all three vices within the same song. For your consideration: “All that money/the money is the motive,” “Let me see that a–/look at all this cash,” and “Money is the only thing I’m chasin’.” Indeed, as a Cardinal earth sign, the hard-won accumulation of material wealth is of the utmost importance to Capricorn.
Further, Capricorn’s tactical energy guides The Weeknd’s approach to art and life. As he admits in “Odd Look“: “I don’t like to talk/But when I make a move/you know it’s loud as f–k.”
Conjunction junction
The Weeknd has Mars conjunct Neptune, the planet of dreams, imagination, mysticism and altered states. This aspect indicates that the planet of action is working harmoniously with the planet of creativity, making the materialization of dreams not only possible but probable. It’s the mark of the visionary: unafraid to go big and absolutely destined to go far.
Our man also has Venus, planet of attachment, conjunct Saturn, planet of perseverance. This aspect suggests the potential for older lovers and significant others. If the album-fueled whispers of a spark between The Weeknd and Angelina Jolie — who is 15 years his senior — prove true, the relationship would make for a mature and magnificent match.
With an older love interest, a fresh album and a new television show adding to the chorus of his sonic universe, the future is limitless for The Weeknd. Happy Solar return, Abel; with the stars on your side, may you go forth and prosper.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.